My Urban Agenda - Kata Tutto - Hoofdinhoud

We know that all European cities are unique and still we see similar patterns when it comes to the main challenges like poverty, housing, sustainability, mobility, air quality, climate change adaptation and so on.

We need to find local solutions including local stakeholders but in a European framework and that is what the Urban Agenda is about. Cities have been stumbling around for a while now in the labyrinth of EU policy making to find partnership in facing these challenges, implementing regulations.

Cities are not just a bunch of similar problems, but are incubators for innovation and intelligent solutions and this knowledge should be shared. Cities are the living environment for most of our businesses and citizens. Local communities, non-profit organizations are very important actors they actively help catalyse solutions but often face the lack of financial resources and are being excluded from the decision making.

Living in Budapest urban poverty and housing are two very important priorities for me from the Agenda. The objectives are to reduce poverty and improve inclusion of people on poverty, and to have affordable housing of good quality. This is a fight where including local businesses civil society and citizens can multiply the individual efforts effect.

I briefly like to share some great projects approaching these issues.

I’m really happy that more and more Community gardens are created because they help fighting urban poverty. It is a bottom up initiative and reflects upon many things: the lack of affordable healthy fruits and vegetables; lack of safe, accessible green spaces; the lack of community planning; lack of accessible and creative activity for children and the elderly. Community gardens can give home to growing healthy food, a place to teach children gardening, a place of recreation and creativity. While working together it strengthens the social bonds and builds local communities.

The Budapest Bike Maffia is a non-profit organization. Their goal is selfless assistance to help those who are in need in cooperation with other non-profit organizations. They help collect and deliver food to those who are in need, mainly poor families and homeless people. Last month my children’s school asked every family to bring in an extra sandwich, snack for their children and BBM delivered and distributed them, being in connections with other organisations, they knew exactly where it is needed the most.

And Budapest gives home to the Vacant City program, which aims at finding innovative solutions for the best community-based regeneration of vacant urban properties. It brings together initiatives that contribute to the city’s social cohesion, quality of life and local economic development.

Kata TŰTTÖ

Alternate of the Committee of the Regions since 18 September 2007

Representative of Local Government of District 12 of Budapest (Budapest XII. kerület önkormányzati képviselője)